Thursday, 18 March 2010
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Shattered family ... dad Tony and mum Elaine at a party with their tragic son Nick, right in the picture
By EMMA MORTON
Health and Science Editor
RECKLESS teens are making meow meow even riskier - by taking it with highly-addictive crystal meth.
Dealers are adding it to get users hooked. They have also started blending the legal "upper" with amphetamines.
Drugs counsellor Steve Pope said: "I have heard of cases of people mixing it with meth or speed to intensify their highs."
Other pushers are selling it with heroin for a "speedball" effect.
Steve added: "This is where an upper is taken with a downer and is often deadly. One raises the heart rate while the other slows it."
The effect is potentially lethal.
JACK Davis, a regular drug taker since the age of 15, started using meow meow last year because it was cheap - and gave him a similar high to hard drugs.
Now 24, the telesales executive from Altrincham, Cheshire, built a resistance to the drug and switched to sedative ketamine.
After one binge his heart stopped beating and he had to be shocked back to life.
Jack said: "I'll suffer kidney damage for life from using meow. When people start dying from a legal drug it should be banned."
AMY Crown took a small dose of mephedrone - and thought she would die.
The 23-year-old waitress, from South London, was offered it by pals in a bar.
She said: "I'm normally against drugs, but my friend told me it was a legal high and I thought it'd be fun."
Afterwards she felt the walls were closing in on her.
She went into a "panic sweat", passed out and was ill for a week.
Amy added: "Meow should be banned. I nearly died for a cheap high. If a drug isn't on prescription, don't take it."
Worried school heads last night joined the families of teenage victims Nick Smith and Louis Wainwright in backing The Sun's call to ban the drug, real name mephedrone.
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The demands came as the known UK death toll rose to five.
Meanwhile the Government was blasted as it emerged a ban had been delayed for SIX MONTHS.
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Tony Smith - father of 19-year-old chef Nick who died on Monday with pal Louis, 18 - said it was "shameful" that ministers had not yet acted.
Grieving Tony, 54, said he wholeheartedly backed The Sun's call to ban meow meow.
He said: "I'm convinced that because it's legal, my son thought it was safe.
"If they'd banned it maybe these two deaths wouldn't have happened."
Head teachers joined the call for a ban after a conference heard the drug was a "growing menace" among schoolchildren.
Mick Brooks, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "Our members are raising awareness of mephedrone's dangers, but the Government must recognise there is a real issue with this drug."
Mike Stewart, head of Westlands School in Torquay, Devon, said it was "totally unacceptable" that the drug can be bought over the internet.
And he warned that teachers would have to HAND BACK any stashes confiscated from pupils - because the drug is still legal.
Official guidance issued to teachers warns them that holding on to pupils' property could breach their human rights.
Mr Stewart said: "Both teachers and police are powerless to do anything about it.
"Items can be confiscated, but because this drug is still legal it would have to be given back at the end of the day and that's disturbing.
"This drug is highly dangerous and must be banned."
Shattered dad Tony added: "We've heard of children as young as nine taking this drug. Because it's legal, it's readily accessible.
"I could buy on the internet and get it delivered tomorrow.
"A friend's son said he didn't know anyone who HADN'T taken it, so it's a huge problem.
"I understand a report that recommends banning it is just sat somewhere.
"It's shameful that young people are still dying. Politicians need to do something. We don't want anyone else to suffer like we are suffering."
Nick's mum Elaine said: "Apparently kids are even taking these drugs in the playground.
"Nick's not the first person to die from this drug, yet nothing is being done. How can that be right?"
Louis's mum Jacqui backed the Smith family's call, saying: "Let's stop this happening again."
Home Secretary Alan Johnson was blasted as it emerged that a decision on a ban had been delayed SIX MONTHS.
An official review was launched last October, then postponed when the scientist in charge quit in protest at the sacking of chief drugs adviser Prof David Nutt.
The committee has still not reported, meaning any ban is still months away.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling accused the Government of "dithering".
He said: "There's no excuse for not acting sooner. We should be able to ban these new drugs temporarily until there is a proper assessment."
Top cop Tim Hollis, drugs spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said banning meow meow would send out "a clear message" about its dangers - and give police the power to take action against dealers.
The Government says it cannot ban the drug until the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs reports on its dangers.
Nick and welder pal Louis died hours after taking mephedrone on a night clubbing with friends in Scunthorpe, Lincs.
Police investigating their deaths said four people - two men aged 26, one aged 20 and a 17-year-old youth - were still being questioned last night.
LORD Mandelson added insult to injury yesterday by admitting he had never heard of the drug.
The Business Secretary, below, later backtracked, saying: "Now it's been associated very tragically with the deaths of these two young people, we will look at it speedily and take any action needed."
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